Notwithstanding all its imperfections, the Euro remains the only way forward for Europe to continue to process of further economic and political integration and embed shared common values, including democracy, respect for human rights, rule of law and diversity throughout the continent. Without further intergration, the risks of rising nationalism and populism pose a serious threat. Further economic convergence is needed and better social safety nets. Sooner or later some degree of fiscal federalism will be needed and the use of the common currency makes all aspects of integration a lot easier. It also makes Europe a more powerful force internationally. The momentum needs to be maintained, so that in one or two generations, citizens of Europe will not know any alternatives. At that stage Europeans will begin looking like the United States. Does anyone today think that California or Florida could have their own currencies?

Neoclassical labour market, partial equilibrium, models where employment and real wages are inversely related are too simplistic and far too narrow. A low wage economy is likely to be a stagnating economy with low productivity, low effort, insufficient incentives for education and training, low aggregate demand, little investment and high unemployment. It's a bad macroeconomic equilibrium with many negative social and political consequences and disenfranchised voters. It's a world where populist politicians rise to power and voters who think it can't get worse vote for crazy policies like Brexit. In other words, a world based on myopic models with disastrous outcomes.